Behavioral Indicators of Welfare and Stress Flashcards
(10 cards)
What behaviors have been correlated with low levels of stress/good welfare?
- scratching/licking themselves
- stretching
- lying down with head down
- positive play
What are stress signals in dogs?
trembling, yelping, whining, whimpering, pacing, excessive panting, hypersalivation, lip licking, whale eye, cowering/crouching, ears pulled back along head, excessive energy, supressed energy, tailed tucked or down, avoiding eye contact, paw lifting, yawning
whale eye = see the whites of the eye, often looking sideways or away
What are warning signals in dogs?
that the dog will more likely agress
lip licking, whale eye, freezing, making a direct hard stare, growling, snapping, biting
What are behaviors correlated with length of stay?
- leaning or rubbing on kennel wall (+30 days)
- facing away from front of kennel (+15 days)
- standing (+7 days)
What are the factors that are used to assess stress in cats?
- eyes, pupils, ears, whiskers, vocalization, activity
- very scared: eyes fully open, pupils dilated, ears flattened against head, meowing/growling/quiet, montionless but alert
How does sheltering affect cats?
- more likely to lose weight
- likely to develop an upper respiratory infection (URI) –> increases likelihood of euthanasia
- higher stress correlated with greater risk of URI
so goal is to get them out of the shelter quickly
What is the cognitive/judgment bias test? What is it used for?
It is used to test an animal’s emotional heath and to assess effects of handling training, and husbandry practices for animals. This is done by training the animal that on the one bowl has a reward and the other bowl never has the reward. Then once they learn this, their outlook is tested by giving an ambiguous cue. What is the indicator or what is being assessed is the speed and willingness to that bowl; faster –> better welfare, hesitant –> poorer welfare.
What can influences an animal’s optimism or pessimism?
- separation problems –> pessimistic
- nasal oxytocin –> optimism
- olfactory enrichment –> optimism
- separation from mothers –> pessimistic (cattle)
- unpredictable environment –> pessimistic (rats)
assume dog if not otherwise stated
What behaviors are taught in nosework and obedience?
context of cognitive bias test
Nosework - moving away from owner, exploring new stimuli
Obedience - stay near the owner, don’t explore
* dogs were trained in nosework were more “optimismic” than obedience
How can we use choice/preference as a way to improve our care of animals?
It can provide better environments, enrichment and interactions for the animal which will ultimately improve their welfare (reduce stress). In addition, it can improve training and handling of the animal.
